Inside Mental Health

Mother of Mindfulness Shares How Positive Thinking Improves Our Health with Dr. Ellen Langer

Nov 2, 2023

Dr. Ellen Langer, psychology royalty and the mother of mindfulness, discusses the power of positive thinking, shifting negative thinking, imposter syndrome, setting reasonable expectations, and gratitude. She emphasizes the mind-body connection and the importance of appreciating individual abilities.

29:35

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Episode guests

Ellen Langer

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Quick takeaways

Positive thinking affects our body and can improve vision and hearing.

The power of placebo and the mind-body connection can positively influence our health and well-being.

Deep dives

The Power of Positive Thinking and Mind-Body Unity

Dr. Ellen Langer, known as the mother of mindfulness, discusses the connection between positive thinking and better health outcomes. She explains that simply thinking positive thoughts is not enough, but rather, it is about recognizing the mind-body unity and understanding that every thought we have affects our body. Dr. Langer shares examples of how our thoughts can influence our physical experiences, such as improving vision and hearing. She emphasizes that we have more control over our health and well-being than we realize.

Introduction

3min

Shifting Negative Thinking to Positive Thinking

10min

Imposter Syndrome, Pessimism, and Deserving

6min

Setting Reasonable Expectations

10min

Gratitude, Book Promotion, and Prescription Medication Savings

2min

Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about the power of positive thinking, the mind-body connection, and the realization that many of our limits are self-imposed. Dr. Langer even helps our host with some of his own insecurities and answers the question: "can positive thinking improve hearing loss and the need for glasses?"

Dr. Ellen Langer is known as the “mother of mindfulness” and was the first woman to whom Harvard gave tenure in psychology. She is nothing less than psychology royalty. Listen now!

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Our guest, Dr. Ellen J. Langer, was the first woman to be tenured in psychology at Harvard, where she is still professor of psychology. The recipient of three Distinguished Scientists awards, the Arthur W. Staats Award for Unifying Psychology, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Liberty Science Genius Award, Dr. Langer is the author of twelve other books, including the international bestseller Mindfulness, as well as The Power of Mindful Learning, Counterclockwise and On Becoming an Artist. Her trailblazing experiments in social psychology have earned her inclusion in The New York Times Magazine’s “Year in Ideas” issue. She is known worldwide as the “mother of mindfulness” and the “mother of positive psychology.” She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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